Hello again

OK well I dropped off the planet for several months.  Hopefully some new energy, fewer stresses from career and life, and most of all a realistic sense of how often I can post will allow me to be a regular contributor yet again.  No more daily news updates - that was a good experiment and it was rewarding to see all the traffic from readers finding me from Google and other methods - but it was way too much to keep going every day. 

OK just a few random thoughts for today. 

• I'm very excited about track season being a month away.  Summer in Saratoga is great and it just gets better with the approach of July 23rd.  My tickets haven't arrived yet from NYRA, and I am somewhat underwhelmed by their giveaway choices, but I'm still so happy with the season so rapidly approaching that I'll deal with it. 
• I am enjoying reading the blogs on the Times Union web site, specifically Saratoga Seen, Table Hopping, and of course Talking Horses.  They are what blogs should be. This is not to denigrate the blogs from The Saratogian and the Post Star, but I haven't read them lately so I don't have an opinion.  Regular readers of this blog know what I think about the Saratogian, but I'll give their blogs, as well as those from the Post Star, a fresh look and tell you what I think.  The Schenectady Gazette has blogs, but for Saratoga readers there really isn't a focused blog to look at.  Reporter Phil Janack's Phil-ing in the Blanks blog has some interesting commentaries on NYRA and horse racing and is worth checking out, however you're just as likely to find his next entry on hockey or baseball.  Not a bad blog, just more of a sports hodgepodge rather than one focused on horse racing.
• I walked into the expanded and renovated Ballston Avenue Price Chopper tonight.  The good news is that it is a bright and spacious store which offers an enjoyable shopping experience.  The bad news is that if I had any hope that the Railroad Avenue store would survive, they were quickly dashed when I saw how nice the Ballston Ave store was now.  The old and cramped Railroad Avenue store sits on valuable land and now there is a large and modern store less than a mile today.  You do the math.  I'm not happy,  but how can I be mad at Price Chopper for making a rational business decision about a location that I choose not to shop at?

Well I hope to keep posting 2-4 times a week.  Take care.

Comments

[Ellen]

Hi Dan,

I check in here from time to time and was delighted to see you posting again.

I'm also enjoying the blogs over at Times Union, but man some of the people who comment there are so uber-opinionated. Some guys gave me grief about saying Mama Mia's food was "authentic".

In my opinion (uber or not), I think of all the local newspaper blogs, the Times Union wins hands down. I also like the "Eat Local" one.

Everyone's a critic!

[Dan]

Hi Ellen:
Thank you so much for writing in. I agree and you use a great term on the uber-opinionated people. I like a strong opinion, but a very select few tend to go overboard and touch on abusive behavior. Thanks for reading. Hope to get caught up on the other blogs (ie. yours) soon.
Dan

[Ellen]

I haven't been blogging much, so you haven't missed much there.
Eric of "tiger in the tree" blog had another baby girl. I just saw the post the other day.

Still adjusting to life here.

Hope all's well.

[Another_Dan_Here]

June 29 and still no Saratoga tickets. NYRA wasted no time cashing my check back in March. Any official word from NYRA about this ?

Dan M.

[Dan]

Dan:
I called them on the phone about 2 weeks ago and the person said "the end of June". OK, I'll be generous, if they mail them out Monday, then the latest we should see them is Wednesday. Anything after this week means they didn't meet their own announced timeline. Thanks for writing in.
Dan